Pretentious? Moi?
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Discussion

Maxym

Original Poster:

3,021 posts

265 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
No diesel motors available on new cars that aren't turbocharged high-tech affairs... So why all the TCDICDTITDI nonsense? I like the way BMW badges its diesels 'd'.

But then there aren't any petrol motors that aren't fuel injected. So no need for BMW to add the 'i' suffix.

Any other examples of pointless badging or nomenclature that manufacturers use to try to impress?

Diesel do nicely

33 posts

186 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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cough< Mk4 Golf 'GT' TDi >cough

Nonsense.

4Q

1,277 posts

216 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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Disco You

3,748 posts

209 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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All this "eco"Boost/tech/nonsense stuff (in general, but more specifically the engine ranges by Ford and whoever else). They might be good engines, but for crying out loud shut up.

kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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I've occasionally wondered why they feel the need to put the engine size on the back at all.

george h

14,714 posts

193 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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63 AMG being either a 6.2 or a 5.5

McSam

6,753 posts

204 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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BMW still put the 'i' because it distinguishes that the car is petrol, if you just said a 330 you can't be sure, but a 330i makes it clear. The VAG TDI name doesn't actually stand for diesel, it means Turbocharged Direct Injection (though obviously it's a name only applied to diesels, as petrols get the (T)FSI name).. I guess each manufacturer just likes to use their marketing names to denote what sort of technology they're using.

The Bluemotion, ecoBOOST stuff etc. I do find pretentious, but you can see why it's there - obviously each manufacturer must all have different names, and there has to be a badge to distinguish the high-efficiency models.

What's your beef? biggrin

ETA
george h said:
63 AMG being either a 6.2 or a 5.5
This one does irritate me, but you can also see why Merc wouldn't really want to drop the 63 badge and call it a 55, since it seems inferior.

RicksAlfas

14,520 posts

273 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
McSam said:
The VAG TDI name doesn't actually stand for diesel, it means Turbocharged Direct Injection
Turbocharged Diesel Injection surely?

They had TDi badged cars a long time before direct injection.

kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
Turbocharged Diesel Injection surely?

They had TDi badged cars a long time before direct injection.
No it's "direct". The badge only appeared in about 1990, when direct injection came in.

RicksAlfas

14,520 posts

273 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
Oh. I see! Never knew that.
I always see "D" as Diesel!
Thanks.
thumbup

McSam

6,753 posts

204 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
kambites said:
No it's "direct". The badge only appeared in about 1990, when direct injection came in.
Correct - direct injection in petrol engines is a new technology because it's a bugger to stop it pre-igniting when this is done, but it's been common practice in all diesels for a long time now smile

Though I'm sure Audi see it as convenient that it means there's a D in the name!

Diesel do nicely

33 posts

186 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
McSam said:
BMW still put the 'i' because it distinguishes that the car is petrol, if you just said a 330 you can't be sure, but a 330i makes it clear. The VAG TDI name doesn't actually stand for diesel, it means Turbocharged Direct Injection (though obviously it's a name only applied to diesels, as petrols get the (T)FSI name).. I guess each manufacturer just likes to use their marketing names to denote what sort of technology they're using.

The Bluemotion, ecoBOOST stuff etc. I do find pretentious, but you can see why it's there - obviously each manufacturer must all have different names, and there has to be a badge to distinguish the high-efficiency models.

What's your beef? biggrin

ETA
george h said:
63 AMG being either a 6.2 or a 5.5
This one does irritate me, but you can also see why Merc wouldn't really want to drop the 63 badge and call it a 55, since it seems inferior.
The words BMW, Clear & Badge, don't go together!

The new 640i actually has a 3.0 Twin Turbo!

318i could have a 1.9 or a 2.0 not a 1.8!

320i could be a 2.2

335i has a 3.0 not a 3.5

i mean how many more do you want? Merc just as bad!



HellDiver

5,708 posts

211 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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Perkins have been doing direct injection diesel since the 50s. The good old 3.152 has a CAV rotary pump and direct injection to give it's awesome 42hp from the 2.5 litre 3 cylinder engine.

McSam

6,753 posts

204 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
quotequote all
Diesel do nicely said:
The words BMW, Clear & Badge, don't go together!

The new 640i actually has a 3.0 Twin Turbo!

318i could have a 1.9 or a 2.0 not a 1.8!

320i could be a 2.2

335i has a 3.0 not a 3.5

i mean how many more do you want? Merc just as bad!
I only said they were clear as regards the fuel they use biggrin the 318i one has been the most confusing for a while, especially as you also have the 316i which I believe is a 1.8..

But, as with the Merc one, you can sorta see why they do it - it gives very clear model heirarchy. I mean, the 330d and 335d are the same block, but you wouldn't really want to try naming them both 330d and adding things to explain the difference. And it means they can continue with the familiar model names.

Mark-C

7,611 posts

234 months

Wednesday 6th April 2011
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Whatever is the latest must have seems to get added to the back of mundane cars. ABS badges were all the rage on many cars until it became a standard feature and I remember Chrysler Alpines proudly showing off the fact that they had five speed gearboxes.

And when did Zetec stop being an engine type and become a trim level for Fords?